Seth Aronson

Partner

Seth Aronson is a partner in O’Melveny’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Securities Litigation Practice. He served as Firmwide chair of the practice from March 2002 to March 2011 and also served as the Managing Partner of O’Melveny’s Los Angeles office from July 2000 through January 2008. Seth defends corporations and their directors, officers and professionals in securities class actions, shareholder derivative actions, SEC enforcement proceedings, unfair competition and consumer class actions, as well as RICO and mergers and acquisitions litigation. He is a leader in defending foreign issuers sued in the U.S. and is particularly active on behalf of Chinese companies. Seth was the Co-Chair of the PLI’s 2011 Securities Litigation and Enforcement Institute.

Seth has been recognized by Chambers and Partners: Chambers USA - America’s Leading Business Lawyers as one of a handful of lawyers to be ranked as a leading lawyer in three categories: General Commercial Litigation (California) (“cited as ‘excellent’ on account of his highly distinguished practice”), Securities Litigation (national) (“absolutely terrific”) (“one of the driving forces behind the firm’s burgeoning representation of Chinese companies in the USA), and Securities Litigation (California; Band 1) (“a prominent figure in major securities class actions”) (“one of the best in the USA in defending [securities] suits”); named a “Top 100 Lawyer” by Daily Journal (2008) (“Around the country, he’s known as a perspicacious hard-nosed litigator who can go toe-to-toe with the most aggressive plaintiff lawyer”); listed in Legal 500 United States for his securities litigation practice; named a leading California litigator and a “National Litigation Star,” and ranked among the top 50 securities litigators by Benchmark Litigation; listed as a “Highly Recommended” lawyer in Dispute Resolution by PLC Which Lawyer?; recognized by Who’s Who Legal: California (2009) as one of the top 34 commercial litigators in the state (“one of the go-to guys for securities litigation and was consistently endorsed by some of the practice area's heavy-hitters”); recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2007) in its “Best of the Bar” special report as one of the top 12 litigators among Los Angeles County’s 48,000 lawyers; recognized by the Los Angeles Daily Journal (2005) as one of the top 30 securities litigators in California; named by Lawdragon as one of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America” (2006-09), as well as one of top “100 Securities Litigators You Need to Know” (2008); and is recognized by Best Lawyers in America (2006-15) in four categories: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), and Litigation - Securities, and earned the singular distinction of 2013 Los Angeles Securities Litigation “Lawyer of the Year”.

Illustrative Professional Experience

Lead trial counsel for a computer hardware company in Federal Court action against computer dealers, distributors, former employees and others for RICO violations and fraud. Successful jury verdict

Defense counsel in a variety of shareholders' class and derivative actions, including actions representing major investment banking firms, utility companies, large industrial companies and national auditing firms

Counsel in the defense of professionals and directors of financial institutions in actions brought by federal regulatory agencies

Counsel to a prominent Los Angeles law firm and a former Commissioner of the California Department of Corporations, and defense liaison counsel, in publicized securities and financial fraud cases

Various pro bono cases, including successful Eighth Circuit appeal on behalf of a plaintiff's civil rights attorney in the Kansas City School desegregation cases

Defense of large retailing firms in consumer class and unfair competition actions under the California Business and Professions Code